At the 2025 South Africa Investment Conference, co-hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in China, Brand South Africa, and South African Tourism, the Hisense Group was invited to participate as an outstanding example of Chinese enterprise investment in South Africa. During the high-level forum, Hisense shared its long-standing development experience in the country, under the theme of “Investing in South Africa: Towards a Shared Future & Common Prosperity.”
The conference brought together nearly 200 representatives from Chinese enterprises across key sectors including finance, energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and manufacturing. As a trailblazer in outbound investment, Hisense attracted significant attention for its steadfast commitment to localized development through its “Local for Local” strategy, and for leading manufacturing investment by Chinese state-owned enterprises in South Africa.
Image: Ms. Vivi Liu at the SA-China Investment Conference in May 2025 (supplied by Hisense SA)
Since entering the South African market in 1996, Hisense has been firmly embedded in the local economy for nearly three decades. In 2013, the company, in collaboration with the China-Africa Development Fund, established the Hisense South Africa Appliance Industrial Park in Atlantis, Cape Town, offering a successful model of China-South Africa manufacturing cooperation. The park features television and refrigerator production lines, along with an injection molding plant and raw material warehouse, boasting annual production capacities of 1 million TVs and 500,000 refrigerators. This has contributed to the growth of both upstream and downstream industries within the local value chain and has created over 1 000 direct jobs, as well as 5 000 indirect jobs along the supply chain.
“We have always adhered to the principle of ‘Made in South Africa, for South Africa,'” shares Ms. Vivi Liu, General Manager of Hisense SA. “Our aim is to achieve complete localization, from product planning and manufacturing to brand marketing, supply chain support, and customer service, ultimately contributing to local economic growth and industrial capacity development.” Today, Hisense leads the South African market in televisions and refrigerators and holds strong market positions in smartphones, washing machines, and microwave ovens.
In logistics, Hisense has partnered with SITC International to establish a joint venture that delivers an efficient supply chain across Southern Africa, providing a shared logistics platform to support more Chinese enterprises in their global expansion efforts.
Hisense also continues to invest in education and philanthropy across South Africa. The company has established the country’s first television history museum (the “Tevolution” Museum in Cape Town) and actively supports hospitals, underserved communities, and NGOs regularly with donations when and where required. It also regularly organizes youth-focused cultural and educational programs that contribute to the development of South Africa’s future generations.
“We firmly believe that truly serving, benefiting, and integrating into local communities is essential for the sustainable growth of Chinese enterprises in Africa,” said Ms. Liu at the conference. “Looking ahead, we aim to share our experience to help more Chinese companies succeed in Africa, while jointly advancing industrial connectivity and regional economic integration between China and Africa.”
The conference took place during the celebration of the 31st anniversary of South Africa’s Freedom Day. As a pioneer in China-South Africa joint manufacturing, Hisense has embodied the principles of “high-quality investment,” “sustainable development,” and “mutual benefit” for nearly thirty years, playing a meaningful role in strengthening bilateral relations and advancing South Africa’s industrial modernization.
